A while ago I had something to say about Cyagen, which I titled "Ugh and Double Ugh":

This is wrong. This is very very wrong. When did how we look become important?

An update from faithful reader KQ:

Looks like they went through with it. I just received the following email:

Good morning!Cyagen Biosciences is excited to announce that our 2017 “Smart is Sexy” calendars have arrived! The calendar features over 160 researchers from around the world, and 12 months of promotions for Cyagen’s animal model services as well as custom vectors, virus packaging, and cloning services from VectorBuilder.com.Pick up a free copy by visiting Cyagen at any of our upcoming vendor shows and seminars, or click here to request a free copy for your lab!Please contact me if you would like a list of upcoming shows/seminars for the month of December Cyagen will be attending.Kind regards,

Aside from what is wrong with this whole 'smart is sexy' pin-up calendar thing, I wonder if people who submitted photos realize what this company now saves in money on costs for making this calendar. The winner's fee is probably nothing compared to what they would otherwise pay to put a calendar like this together with professional photos. Do people realize they are giving their pictures away to a company that then makes money off of them?

It's adding to the old saying "you are either smart or sexy" never both (or rather like I think it is "never neither" since that is surely the biggest panic in the world. Dumb and ugly....) I digress. It's pretty much like a lot of the PR campaigns nowadays innit? If "it seems for free, you're probably the product" <- to answer Babyattachmode. No, I don't think they realize that. they want the fame of being "the chosen sexy scientist".

considering all the research indicating that getting a job (any job) today is influenced by the fact if you are attractive, I'm not all that surprised that I need to be both smart as a scientist, published AND sexy. TBH, a lot of the promotional material from my institute focuses on the more attractive people so.....